TangoMundo CD Launch
Piazzolla Unleashed: Reclaiming the Edge
FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 2026 | Doors open 7pm | Show at 7.30pm

Astor Piazzolla, the outlaw genius who revolutionised tango

Raw, urban, and unapologetic, Piazzolla Unleashed: Reclaiming the Edge dives headfirst into the street-smart soundworld of Astor Piazzolla; the outlaw genius who tore tango apart and rebuilt it with jazz fire, rock attitude, and Bach-level craft. This is Buenos Aires after dark: gritty, volatile, and electrically alive.

TangoMundo brings to the stage Piazzolla repertoire rarely heard internationally, drawing from across his restless, rule-breaking career. From the midnight heartbeat of Buenos Aires Hora Cero to the smoky elegance of S’il Vous Plaît from his Paris years, and the hard-edged cool of Reunión Cumbre from his legendary collaboration with Gerry Mulligan, this program goes well beyond the greatest hits. TangoMundo also play intimate, lesser-known gems such as Tanti Anni Prima and songs such as Jacinto Chiclanaand Los Pájaros Perdidos, revealing the intense poetry at the heart of Piazzolla’s music.

The program also unleashes works from Piazzolla’s later Electronic Octet and Nonet periods alongside iconic pieces like Libertango and Oblivion; music driven by a fierce appetite for experimentation and a visceral connection with the audience. Like music legends such as Ellington, Prokofiev or Mozart before him, Piazzolla was a composer-performer who lived in the moment, constantly reinventing his sound and daring listeners to follow.

These original arrangements are crafted especially for TangoMundo by Argentine tango scholar and composer Guillermo Anad(Académico Correspondiente, National Academy of Tango, Buenos Aires), who also performs on viola. He is joined by cabaret powerhouse Faye Bendrups (piano and voice) and acclaimed Australian accordionist Anthony Schulz, forming a trio that delivers Piazzolla’s music with grit, elegance, and ferocious heart.

Piazzolla Unleashed is not nostalgia. It’s the music that changed Tango forever.

Daniel Piazzolla, Buenos Aires: "The great achievement of TangoMundo is to mix classical and popular nuances of my father’s music using an unexpected combination of only three instruments: viola, accordion and piano. This is a novel and entirely Piazzollean approach".

Ignacio Frechero, Argentine Consul, Vancouver: “It was a privilege, and a very moving moment for us, to witness such a performance live. The three of you truly touched our hearts with your interpretations. It is not common to be so far from our country and, at the same time, feel it so close. You made that possible. Thank you again!”.

TangoMundo

Guillermo Anad: Music Director, Arranger, Viola

Faye Bendrups: Piano, voice

Anthony Schulz: Accordion, piano

Guillermo Anad: Music Director/Arranger/Viola

Guillermo Anad is a composer, arranger and writer from Buenos Aires. He has worked as an orchestral musician (violist) in Argentina, Paris and Berlin and his compositions have been performed and recorded in Europe and the Americas. Anad is a specialist in the life and music of Astor Piazzolla and has published widely on Piazzolla and other tango-related themes. He has completed over 100 arrangements of Piazzolla’s compositions for various ensembles in Argentina, Spain, Belgium and Australia. Anad studied with Szymsia Bajour (founding member of Astor Piazzolla's quintet) and performed in Argentina with the Antonio Agri Ensemble, the Mariano Mores Tango Orchestra, bandoneonists Leopoldo Federico and Edelmiro “Toto” D’Amario, violinst Fernando Suárez Paz; and in Paris with the Cuarteto Cedrón and Gustavo Beytelmann.

Faye Bendrups: Piano/Vocals

Faye Bendrups is a veteran Australian writer, composer and performance-maker. Her compositions have been commissioned by major Australian companies, including Melbourne Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre. She wrote the opera Sindromtango: una ópera grotesca, the music theatre works Perpetual Tango and Shades of Tango, and the song cycles Cancionero Neruda and Cancionero América Latina. In 2022 she was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the performing arts. Her original monodrama The Fabulous Life of Lina Prokofiev premiered in the New York United Solo Festival in 2024, winning ‘Best Actress’ and ‘Best Musician’ awards.

Anthony Schulz: Accordion/Piano

Anthony Schulz has devoted his life to the art of music, exploring and showcasing the versatility and refinement of the piano accordion. Anthony has graced the stage with numerous highly acclaimed ensembles and projects, from Luciano Pavarotti to ECM's Barre Phillips, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and ARIA award-winning Zulya and the Children of the Underground. His musical vision spans various genres, including chamber music, original compositions, world music ensembles, and improvisation. Anthony has held key roles as the Chair of Victoria's iconic multicultural music organization The Boite, and President of the Accordion Society of Australia.

Contact the host of TangoMundo: Piazzolla Unleashed: Reclaiming the Edge